America and China have been engaging in ‘war games’ with each other, as
tensions between the two countries escalate over growing concerns over
Beijing-controlled cyber attacks.

Two games between the countries have already taken place with another one scheduled in May.

The games are designed to help prevent a sudden military reaction if either country feels threatened by the other, according to the Guardian newspaper.

China already views itself as having stepped ahead of the US on the world stage, Jim Lewis, a senior fellow and director at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told the newspaper.

"China has come to the conclusion that the power relationship has changed, and it has changed in a way that favours them," he said. "The PLA [People's Liberation Army] is very hostile. They see the US as a target. They feel they have justification for their actions. They think the US is in decline."

The CSIS, a think tank based in Washington, has been involved in organising the war games alongside Beijing-based think tank, the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.

"We coordinate the war games with the state department and department of defence," said Mr Lewis. "The officials start out as observers and become participants … it is very much the same on the Chinese side. Because it is organised between two thinktanks they can speak more freely."

During the first exercise, which took place in Beijing last June, the two countries had to consider their reaction if attacked by a computer virus, such as Stuxnet. Stuxnet was believed to have been aimed at Iran’s alleged nuclear programme.

The second war game, in Washington in December, asked the US and China to detail their reactions if the attack was known to have been launched by the other side.

"The two war games have been quite amazing," Mr Lewis said. "The first one went well, the second one not so well.”